Latin American & Caribbean Area Studies: Primary Sources
Links to Special Collections & Archival Collections for LACAS
Special Collections at Binghamton University
Binghamton University Libraries' Special Collections Department includes a number of excellent resources for the study of Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Institute for Development Anthropology Collection
This now-defunct non-profit gave its library of materials on development anthropology to the libraries. This collection includes both the Institute’s reports as well as quite a number of books, journals, newsletters and other materials related to development issues in Latin America, and to a lesser extent in the Caribbean. To locate materials in this collection using the library catalog infoLINK, simply search for “Institute for Development Anthropology” and any other keyword of interest.
- The William J. Haggerty Collection of French Colonial History
This collection corresponds to the library of the Comité Central Français pour l'Outre-Mer, primarily dating from the late-19th century to the mid-20th century. Much of the collection focuses on the French colonies in Africa and Asia during this period. However, there are quite a number of books and pamphlets on Latin American and the Caribbean, also in the collection (see the bibliography French Colonial Perspectives on Latin America & the Caribbean). The collection is largely in French, with limited materials in other languages. You can locate individual items in the library catalog InfoLINK by searching for the subject “Haggerty Collection.”
Archivos Virtuales: Papers of Latino and Latin American Artists
A collection of the papers of more than 65 artists of Latin American descent. Includes finding aids, transcripts of oral histories, and digitized images from selected collections. (Smithsonian Museum)
Arizona-Sonora Documents Online
A digital collection of documents from the 19th and early 20th century dealing with Sonora, Mexico. Collection deals with ranching, mining, anti-Chinese movements, border crime, and government, among other topics. (University of Arizona, Arizona Historical Society, Arizona State Library)
Brazilian Government Document Digitization Project
Includes several collections of digitized materials issued by the Brazilian government from 1821-1993. Includes reports from the presidents, ministries, and provincial governments. (Center for Research Libraries)
Caribbean Histories Revealed
A digital exhibit of records from the Colonial Office, recently cataloged by the British National Archives. Features documents, maps, and images of Caribbean life, dating from the 17th century to the 1920s. Focus is on islands that the British colonized. (National Archives, UK)
Castro Speech Database
Copies of Fidel Castro’s speeches and interviews in English from 1959-1996. Also provides links to collections of his speeches in Spanish and other languages. Website and texts in English. (LANIC, University of Texas, Austin)
Centro de Estudios Puertorriqeños Archives
Perhaps the strongest collection of materials on the Puerto Rican experience in the United States. As well as their collections of the personal papers of numerous notable community members, the archives also the records of the Offices of the Government of Puerto Rico in the United States and the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. Great websites dedicated to specific topics like Identification and Documentation Program, FBI Files on Puerto Ricans, and Writers and Migration. (Hunter College)
Chen, Jim. “The Constitution of the United States in Spanish: A Service for the American People (La Constitucion de los Estados Unidos en Espanol: Un Servicio para el Pueblo Americano)”
Minnesota Legal Studies Research Paper No. 06-36 (18 August 2006). Spanish translation of the US Constitution. Includes substantial footnotes detailing word choices. Available for download in PDF format. (Social Science Research Network)
Colonial Bank Correspondence, 1837-1885
Contains the correspondence between bank managers at the Colonial Bank, a forerunner to Barclays Bank, in colonial Trinidad. Provides insight to economic and social conditions in Trinidad and other British Caribbean islands during this period, with a particular focus on the role of sugar in the Caribbean. (University of West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago)
Cuban Heritage Collection
One of the premier collections of materials about Cuba. Includes digitized collections of photographs, letters, manuscripts, and memorabilia. Covers both Cubans and Cuban-Americans. (University of Miami)
Digital Collection of Mexican and Argentine Presidential Messages
A digitized collection of speeches made by Argentine and Mexican presidents. Mexican presidents are represented from the mid-20th century. Argentine presidents are covered from the 20th century, with limited coverage of the 19th century. Website in English, texts in Spanish. (LANIC, University of Texas, Austin)
Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC)
This still-evolving initiative brings together strong collections from the US and the Caribbean dealing with the Caribbean. It provides funds and assistance to Caribbean libraries and archives to digitize portions of their collections. Includes materials from CARIFESTA, several digitized newspapers, and other smaller collections. Website interface in English, French, and Spanish. (Florida International University)
Guevara, Ernesto. “Bolivia. Diario de lucha.”
A website that has transcribed “Che” Guevara’s diaries dating to his campaign in Bolivia. Also includes diaries and brief biographies of his fellow guerrillas. In Spanish. (Centro de Estudios Che Guevara, Cuba)
How Did Mexican Women Assert Their Labor and Constitutional Rights in the 1938 San Antonio Pecan Shellers Strike?
A collection of digitized documents (newspaper accounts, photographs, film footage, oral history transcripts) concerning the 1938 strike of Mexican and Mexican American women in San Antonio, TX. (Alexander Street Press)
How Did Women Needleworkers Influence New Deal Labor Policies in Puerto Rico?
A collection of documents about the Mayaguez Needleworkers Strike of 1933. Provides insight to women, labor, US-Puerto Rican relations, the Depression and the New Deal, among other topics. (Alexander Street Press)
Latin American and Caribbean Government Documents Project
Contains information about Latin American governments as found on the web. Has not been updated since 1999. (Cornell University)
Latin American Government Documents Archive
Preserves digital documents of 18 Latin American countries governments as published on the web. This project began in 2005-2006, thus it is a relatively new program. Focuses on presidential and ministerial documents. (University of Texas, Austin)
Latin American Government Report Archive
Includes digital reports issued by Latin American presidents and major ministries. This project is still evolving, not many documents represented. (University of Texas, Austin)
Latin American Open Archives Portal
Provides access to Latin American social sciences “grey” literature – typically unpublished reports, research papers, statistical documents etc. (University of Texas, Austin)
Latin American Pamphlet Collection
Rutgers University has recently created a database of more than 5000 annotated descriptions of its Latin American Pamphlet Collection. The collection includes focuses on the 20th century, but is strongest in materials from the Cold War era. It inlcudes pamphlets, grey literature and other ephemera. In order to view the originals, users will need to contact Rutger's Special Collections. (Rutgers University)
Latin American Pamphlet Digital Collection
A digitized collection of more than 5000 pamphlets from the 19th and early 20th century. Collection is strongest for Chile, Cuba, Bolivia, and Mexico. (Harvard University)
Latino Collections in New York State
This website brings together links to digital collections, finding aids, information about existing documentation projects and other resources for the study of Latinos through primary sources. Great source for learning about existing special collections about Latinos that can be found in institutions across New York. (New York State Archives)
Legislación Mexicana
The complete collection of the legislature in Mexico from 1687-1902. Digitized version of the first 11 volumes of the printed classic compiled by Basilio José Arrillaga. (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
Mexico: From Empire to Revolution
A digitized exhibition from the Getty concerning the depiction of Mexico and Mexican history through photography during the period of 1857-1923. (Getty Research Institute)
A National Security Archive
A collection of digitized declassified documents obtained by Freedom of Information Act requests. Fascinating archive provides substantial insight to the US government’s role in Latin America. Includes documents dealing with the “Dirty War” period of Latin America, Che Guevara, the Bay of Pigs, Pinochet, Iran Contra, the 1954 coup in Guatemala. (George Washington University)
Parallel Histories: Spain, the United States, and the American Frontier
A digital library of materials looking at the histories of Spain and the United States from the 15th-19th centuries. Contains numerous digitized images, maps, and texts. Focus on “Early Exploration and Settlement,” but additional topics will be covered in the future. Website interface is in Spanish and English. (National Library of Spain, Biblioteca Colombina y Capitular, Spain, and Library of Congress)
Princeton University Library’s Manuscripts Division
Includes a strong Latin American collection, including such recent additions as the Sergio Ramírez papers, Rosario Ferré collection, and Antonio Benítez Rojo correspondence. A description of their Latin American collections can be downloaded as a PDF. (Princeton University Library)
Puerto Rico at the Dawn of the Modern Age: Nineteenth- and Early-Twentieth-Century Perspectives
Looks at the history of Puerto Rico through digitized documents including political pamphlets, maps, texts and images. The materials cover the period of 1831-1929. (Library of Congress)
Repositories of Primary Sources
Links to archival collections in Latin America and the Caribbean. Some links may be broken, and many of these institutions may not frequently update their pages. (University of Idaho)
Sir William Young Diaries
Digitized selections (with transcriptions) from the personal papers of Sir William Young, the governor of Tobago from 1807-1815. Includes watercolors and maps he did of the island. (University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago)
Virtual Mesoamerican Archive
A searchable database of images, articles, websites, scholars, repositories, and teaching materials dealing with Mesoamerica. (University of Oregon)
¡Zapatistas! Documents of the New Mexican Revolution. New York: Autonomedia, 1994.
English translation of the full-text of every communiqué published by the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) from December 31, 1994 to June 12, 1994. (LANIC, University of Texas, Austin)